Serena Wins Aussie Open

Beats Russia's Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-3 for 10th Grand Slam

By Newser Editors and Wire Services

Posted Jan 31, 2009 6:16 AM CST

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Serena Wins Aussie Open — Serena Williams returns to Russia's Dinara Safina during the Women's singles final match at the Australian Open in Melbourne. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Serena Williams routed Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-3 today to win the Australian Open for her 10th Grand Slam title and a return to the No. 1 ranking. It was total domination for the second-seeded Williams, who looked at ease in winning back-to-back majors—she won the US Open championship in September—as she moved fluidly on the court.

"I absolutely, clearly, love playing here," the 27-year-old Williams said. "You guys root for me so much. I don't get that everywhere. So thank you so much." Williams' near-perfect performance was in sharp contrast to No. 3 Safina, who was tight from the start. Later apologizing to the crowd for her performance, Safina said Williams was just too good, leaving her feeling like a ballboy. (Read more Australian Open stories.)

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